Method of marking articles of clothing and the like for laundry and similar purposes



M 19, 1936. G. TILLETT 2,041,628

METHOD OF MARK ARTICLES OF CLOTHING AND THE LIKE FOR LAUNDRY AN IMILAR PURPOSES Filed Jan. 1954 n g |.v-NTOR:

Patented May 19, 1936 METHOD OF MARKING ARTICLESV OF` CLOTHING AND THE LIKE FOR LAUN- DRY AND SIMILAR PURPOSES Frederick George Tillett, Eastbourne, England Application January 5, 1934, Serial No. 705,472 In Great Britain July 13, 1933 i 4 claims. '(01. i12-262) This invention relates to a method of marking articles formed of textile material, such as clothing4 and the like, for laundry and similar purposes. f,

A great variety of methods of marking articles 5 of clothing for laundry purposes is already known. It is generally known that in many cases it is impracticable to mark an article of clothing directly by means of ink especially articles made of woollen materials or materials of a fluffy texture or even if the article is of extremely delicate fabric. In such cases if marking ink be used it isnot only necessary to mark a tab, for example of tape, with the identifying characters but it is also necessary to effect an additional and distinct operation to secure the tab to the article. All known methods possess various disadvantages or limitations and it is the object of the present invention to avoid these defects, more especially. as concerns the marking of relatively thick open textured articles, (knitted or of a uiy character) of wool or other material, such as knitted goods or goods of a fluffy or delicate character.

The invention enables an article of whatever character of textile material it may be formed, to

be marked permanently in a manner which enables the mark to be readily perceived at any time and which requires a minimum amountof time and expense to eiect such marking.

This invention comprises a method of marking articles formed of textile material, such as clothing andthe like, for laundry and similar purposes, especially the marking of thick articles of a loose or open texture such as knitted woollen goods, which comprises stitching identifying characters simultaneously through the article and through a tab, such as a strip of tape or the like, so that the stitched characters appear against the tab as a background and secure the tab to the article.

The word "tab is here used generically, as also in the appended claims, and covers any convenient strip of tape or specially prepared piece of relatively close textured material, or even a piece of thin solid material such as Celluloid or the like.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing in which:-

Figure 1 shows in plan a portion of an apparatus by means of which the invention may be carried into eiect;

Figures 2 and 3 are sections respectively on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Figure 1, but drawn to a larger scale than the latter gure;

Figure 4 is a view of a portion of an article formed of textile material marked in accordance with the invention; and i Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The invention may be expeditiously carried into ,l eiiect by means of an apparatus such as that de-` scribed in my co-pending application Serial. Noff 483,316 in which a bar member is arranged to be moved manually in conformity with guiding characters in which a stylus on the bar extends, so y thatthe article to be marked which is clamped at the appropriate place to the bar, is moved with the barwhile a sewing machine is operated to sew stitches into the article which are thus given a delineation corresponding toV the said characters. In passing, it may be mentioned that when such stitches are sewn directly into thick woollen articles or articles of a iuffy texture, the stitching rapidly becomes `submerged betweenthe threads or in the surface texture of the fabric sothat it is -vdiflicult or impossible to read the characters and the present invention overcomes this dif' culty in addition to thosevreferred'to. above. i

Figures 1 to 3 showa portion of the machine such as that described in the aforesaid co-pending application Serial No. 483,316 and in which one end of the bar member I is pivotally and axially slidably mounted at 2 to the base of the machine 3' whilethe other end is provided with a stylus having a 'manipulating ,head `li and which is are' ranged to be moved manually along vthe guiding characters, not shown in the drawing, but which are fully disclosed in the co-pending patent application above referred to. The bar I rests upon a row of anti-friction balls 5 to facilitate the movements thereof.

The means for gripping the article in the present instance is modified from that shown in the aforesaid co-pending application and comprises a pair of bifurcated jaw elements of which one 6 is formed on the bar I whilst the other 'I is formed at one end of a double armed lever 8 hinged to the bar I at 9. The jaw 1 is normally urged into engagement with the jaw 6 by a spring IIJ, the jaw being arranged to be operated by means of tension applied to a cable II through any suitable means, such for example, as a foot pedal or the like, not shown. In Figure 2 the jaw 'I is shown in the raised position in dot and dash lines. A pair of downwardly extending gripping elements I2 formed of sheet metal are provided on the jaw 1 and the lower edges of which are serrated, sufficient space being provided between the elements I2 to permit the necessary movements of the needle of the sewing machine (not shown) in forming the characters.

In marking an article in accordance with the invention the article I3 and a tab such as a piece of tape I4 placed thereon are gripped between the jaws 6 and 'I in the manner shown in Figure 3 so as temporarily to clamp the tab to the article. The machine is then manipulated to mark the article by means of identifying characters formed of "stitching produced by the. sewing machine during manipulation of the bar I in the manner described in the aforesaid copending application with the result that the said stitches are stitched through both the tab I4 and the article I3 so as to secure the tab to the article and the stitches appear against the tab as a background in the formof, the identifying characters as shown clearly in Figure 4; Figure 5 shows how the stitchesA` I5: secure the tab M to the article.

The stitches thus constitute the sole means of securing the tape to the article and are readily discernible, even in the case of articles of a relatively thick and loose texture, so that the disadvantages above referred to pertaining to known methods are avoided andA the costs of e' marking articles' very considerably reduced andthetalzf constitutes a reinforcement for the material of the article and by the stitching.V Y

"It is to be understood that the invention also prevents Vinjury thereto comprises within its scope the combination with 'articles of," clothing, and the like of' a tab and.

stitchesV forming identifying characters which extend through both the tape and the article so that the charactcrsappear against the tape, as a background andthev stitches secure the tab to the article.

What' I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, of' the United. States isi- L A methodlof marking articles formed of textiie. material',l such as clothing and the like, for laundry and' similar purposes. especially the marking' of thick articles of aloose or open texture such as knitted woollen, goods, or of -articles of a thin and delicate, character which. comprisesthe step of stitching identifying characters formed by such stitching through both the article and a tab applied against the article, together so that the characters so formed appear against the outer face of the tab as a background and serve as the securing means for attaching the tab to the article and constitute the identifying mark for the article.

2. A method of marking articles formed of textile material, such as clothing and the like, for laundry and similar purposes, especially the marking of thick articles of a loose or open texture such as knitted woolien goods, or of articles of a thin and delicate character, which comprises the steps of so pressing a tab on to the article to be marked with one face of the tab applied against the article as to prevent relative movement between the tab Yand the article and whilst the tab so pressed, stitching identifying characters formed by such stitching through both the article and the tab together so that the characters so formed appear against the outer face of the tab as a background and serve as the securing means for attaching the tabv to the article and constitute the-identifying mark for the article.

3; A metliodr of marking articles formed of textile material, such as clothing and the like, for

laundry and similar purposes; especially the marking of thick articles of a loose or open tex-A ture such as knitted woollen goods, or of articles of a thin and delicate character, which comprises the steps of temporarily clamping the tab andthe article together with one face of the tab applied against the article and stitching identifying' characters formed by such stitching through bothv ther article and a tab together so that the charactersl so formed appear against the outer face of the tab asa background and serve as the securing' means for attaching the tab' to' the article and constitute the identifying mark for the ar'` ticle.

tab and said article andv constituting the securing means: forY attaching the tab to the article, said'. stitchesv being" arranged' in the delineation of iden-` tifying characters constituting the mark for the article and which appear against the outer face' of the tab as a background.

FREDERICK GEORGE 

